Contact: Jeanne Corcoran
NFO Production Manager
Phone: (702) 486-2713

For Immediate Release
January 31, 2005

Lieutenant Governor Announces Revenues, Presents Awards and Launches Book at Annual Event

LAS VEGAS, Nv. Lieutenant Governor Lorraine T. Hunt, Chair of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development which oversees the Nevada Film Office (NFO), announced today that filming revenues for calendar year 2004 reached over $116 million, which continues a five-year trend of Nevada of exceeding the $100 million mark. This accomplishment counters a widespread pattern of declining filming revenues in many states across the U.S. "Quite a few states have seen their revenues decrease due to runaway production and diminished location shooting throughout the country," said Lt. Gov. Hunt, "but we are most gratified to see Nevada holding steady and continuing to attract diverse productions of all kinds, including a high percentage of television programming."

Charles Geocaris, Director of the NFO, also noted that the 2004 increase in filming of more than ten percent over the previous calendar year is substantial. ³That additional $12 million increase is more than many states earn in total filming revenues for an entire year. Nevada is fortunate in that we are uniquely branded, diverse geographically, have little or no red tape, and are affordable with excellent weather. All of this has given us some insulation against the sharp drop in location production that has occurred nationwide, cutting deeply into most states' revenues. ³

Television represented the lion's share of production activity -- approximately 65% -- for the year, followed by commercials, feature films, still photography, documentaries, music videos, corporate/industrial projects, and miscellaneous production encompassing student films and other media.

Held at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and hosted by Planet Hollywood, the new owner of the dazzling property, the press conference included an awards event honoring the top three scripts and screenwriters in the 2004 Nevada Screenplay Competition. The Aladdin and Planet Hollywood were also the hosts for the annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) "Cineposium Conference" that drew hundreds of film commissioners from around the world for the nearly week-long event. "Las Vegas and all of Nevada depend on the 'film friendly' attitude, interest and interaction of community leaders and prominent properties such as The Aladdin and Planet Hollywood," said Lt. Gov. Hunt, in extending the appreciation to the venue for the press conference. "They are essential to the growth and continued success of filmmaking of all kinds and we recognize their key importance."

Lt. Gov. Hunt presented certificates of achievement from both herself and the Governor of Nevada, and gift bags and prizes to the winning screenwriters from sponsors including the Brenden Theatres, Final Draft Software, and the NFO. The Nevada Screenplay Competition is the oldest state-sponsored event of its kind in the United States, and provides unsold writers the chance to win not only prizes and awards, but the opportunity to have their scripts read by select producers and production companies in Hollywood for consideration. "Access is the best prize," said Charles Geocaris, Director of the Nevada Film Office. "To have industry professionals that are actively making movies and producing feature films read your script is invaluable and the goal of all new screenwriters." Interested producers and production companies may contact the NFO for copies of the top 3 scripts without cost or obligation, by calling toll-free: 1-877-638-3456.

The 1st Place/Best Screenplay award went to Brian Rouff of Henderson, Nevada, for his black comedy "Dice Angel," based on his novel of the same title. Rouff, who has been called "Nevada¹s own Carl Hiassen" for the quality of his novel, said this was his first screenplay effort. Even so, judges were uniformly impressed, scoring the script higher than all competitors throughout three tiers of judging.

The 2nd place honors went jointly to Jeffrey Rubin and Gary Lumpp of California, for their Gen-X Horror flick "SK8R 666," which is set in a small rural town where teenagers have been banned for years. The award for 3rd place was given to Dan Wedeking, also from California, for his mob-related drama, "Mayhem and Made Men."

Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor officially launched the 2005 Nevada Production Directory. This award-winning book of comprehensive resources, information, contacts and more is published once a year and distributed selectively to thousands of professionals in the fields of film, television, commercial production and other media throughout the world. It can be viewed online at www.nevadafilm.com and copies are available free of charge by calling the Nevada Film Office at (702) 486-2711.